A series of videos on how I painted my Aeldari Avatar, from the NMM armour and gold to the glowing lava and shining soulstones! Scroll down to explore these in order, or use the contents below to jump to a specific part or technique used on the model.

Quick jump!

Materials List

Primers

• Ultimate Primer
  • Black

Tools and Equipment

• Airbrush
  • An airbrush equipped with a 0.4 needle, suitable for fine detail work and broad coverage. A compressor set to around 30psi is recommended for optimal flow and control.
• Magnets (optional)
  • Small magnets if you wish to magnetize the weapon arm for easy swapping of weapons.

Brushes

• Detail Brushes
  • A selection of fine detail brushes for hand-painting intricate details, highlights, and glazes after the base airbrushing is complete. A range from fine to very fine is advisable – I use Artist Opus brushes but any high-quality brush designed for miniatures is recommended.

Other Supplies

• Mixing Palette
  • For mixing paints and thinners. A wet palette is beneficial for keeping paints hydrated during the painting process.
• Scrap Card or Paper
  • For testing airbrush flow and paint consistency before applying to the model.
• Cleaning Supplies
  • Airbrush cleaner and water for maintaining your airbrush after use.
• Protective Gear
  • Gloves and a mask, especially if working in a poorly ventilated area, to protect against paint and thinner fumes.

Assembly Materials

• Plastic Glue or Super Glue
  • For assembling the miniature, excluding the parts intended to be painted separately.
• Hobby Knife
  • For cleaning mould lines and preparing surfaces for magnetization or assembly.

Video – Aeldari Avatar Basics and Airbrushing

Paints and Mediums

• Games Workshop
  • Mephiston Red
  • Flash Gitz Yellow
• Vallejo
  • Black
  • Airbrush Thinner

Preparation and Assembly

Before we begin, ensure your model is primed with Ultimate Primer Black and assembled, except for the head and the arm, which we’ll paint separately due to their intricate details

Weapon Options: The kit includes an axe, a sword, and a spear, along with three head variants. Choose your preferred options; I’ve opted for a particular head variant for its aesthetic appeal.

Magnetizing Weapons: For versatility, you can magnetize the weapon arm. I’ve simplified the process by adjusting the arm’s joint for easier magnet attachment, allowing for weapon swaps without affecting in-game performance.

Airbrushing Basics

Equipment: I’ll be using an airbrush with a 0.4 needle and operating at around 30psi. For thinning the paint, Vallejo Airbrush Thinner is recommended for smoother application, but water can also be used as a cost-effective alternative.

Initial Colour Application: Start by airbrushing the main body parts. Initially, I applied Mephiston Red to the armour, planning for a non-metallic red armour with blue flames. However, I later decided to adjust this approach for a more traditional flame colour and a non-metallic steel or iron look for the armour to reflect the flames’ light.

Applying Base Colours: For the flames, begin with Mephiston Red as the base, gradually adding Flash Gitz Yellow to the mix for each layer. Aim for a smooth transition from the red at the tips to a vibrant yellow at the base of the flames. This step provides a solid foundation for detailing the flames later.

Painting Techniques

Precision and Patience: When airbrushing, ensure you’re working in a well-ventilated area and practice on a piece of scrap material to adjust the flow and pressure settings before applying paint to the model.

Layering: Apply thin layers to achieve an even coverage without obscuring the details. This method requires patience as multiple coats may be needed for a solid colour, especially when building up from dark to light hues.

Correcting Mistakes: Don’t fret over airbrush overspray; we’ll cover armour sections later with Vallejo Black to redefine the model’s details and contrast.

Final Touches

Detailing the Flames: After airbrushing, the next stages will involve hand painting to enhance the flames’ brightness and add depth with highlights and glazes.

Armour Detailing: Following the airbrush work, we’ll hand paint the armour sections with Vallejo Black to create sharp contrasts between the flames and the armour, accentuating the model’s dynamic appearance.

Thats it for the groundwork for painting your Aeldari Avatar, focusing on airbrushing techniques for a vibrant base. The next part will delve into detailed hand painting, bringing your Avatar to life.

Video – Aeldari Avatar NMM Steel

Part 2 in a series of how to paint the Aeldari Avatar, looking at painting the helmet in NMM) Non Metallic Metal) steel.

Materials Required

• Paints: Mournfang Brown, Abaddon Black (Games Workshop); Black, German Grey, Basalt Grey, Neutral Grey, Dark Sea Grey, Dark Blue Pale (optional from Vallejo); Morrow White (P3).
• Tools: Wet palette, fine detail paintbrushes, water for diluting paints.

Preparation

Base Colours: Ensure your model is prepared with base colours as detailed in the prior video. This guide focuses exclusively on the helmet.

Palette Preparation: Ready your wet palette with a gradient of greys from black to light grey. Include Dark Blue Pale mixed with white for optional blue-tinged reflections.

Step by Step Guide

Initial Highlights

Start with Basalt Grey: Start by outlining the shapes of the highlights on the helmet. Use a lamp to discern where the primary highlight should be, based on the model’s orientation towards a light source. This is often on the forehead for the Aeldari Avatar.

Insert Random Reflections: Beyond the primary highlight, add arbitrary, smaller reflections to mimic light from various environmental sources, such as explosions or other battlefield illuminations.

Shaping Highlights

Modify for Surface Shape: The shape of your highlights should vary based on the curvature and texture of the helmet’s surface. Steer clear of mirror finishes; instead, target generic highlight shapes that are simpler to achieve and adjust.

Edge Highlights: Integrate edge highlights to represent light catching at sharper angles more intensely than on flatter surfaces.

Enhancing Highlights

Layering Greys: Progressively work up the highlights, starting from darker greys and moving towards lighter shades. The transition between shades should be subtle, enhancing the metallic effect without losing contrast.

Final Details

Apply Glazes for Depth: Use glazes of Mournfang Brown and Morrow White to add depth and variation to the highlights. These paints should be thinned more than usual to avoid overpowering the underlying layers.

Reflections and Contrast: Introduce imagined reflections and ensure there’s a balanced contrast across the helmet. Excessive grey can diminish the metallic effect, while insufficient grey can make it appear overly dark.

Finishing Touches

Sharp Highlights: Utilise the brightest greys or white for the most intense points of light, particularly on edges facing upwards or at points where light would be most concentrated.

Glazing for Smoothness: If needed, use glazes to smooth out transitions between highlights, especially where you aim to soften or deepen the contrast.

Advanced Tips

• Dynamic Lighting: Consider the environment your avatar will be placed in. Adding subtle colour reflections (e.g., blues or browns) can suggest surrounding elements or atmospheric conditions.
• Texture Variation: Leverage the texture of your brush and the viscosity of your paint to add interest. A worn brush can create softer transitions, ideal for blending, while a new brush with a sharp point is perfect for fine details.

Video – Aeldari Avatar NMM Shoulder Armour

Materials Needed

• Paints: Neutral Grey, German Grey, Black (Vallejo); Morrow White (P3); Mournfang Brown (Games Workshop).
• Tools: Wet palette, size 00 Artist Opus brush, water for thinning paints.

Step-by-Step Guide

Preparing Your Palette
Start by mixing a range of greys from black and white on your wet palette. The inclusion of Neutral Grey can help, but the exact shades are less critical than having a smooth gradient from black to white. This range will make sure that your transitions on the armour are as smooth as possible.

Mapping Primary Light Sources
Determine where the primary light source hits the model, focusing on the shoulder pads. The areas facing the front should be the brightest. This initial mapping helps in planning where the most intense highlights and reflections will be placed.

Blocking in Highlights
With your size 00 brush, begin to block in the primary highlights. At this stage, the marks can be rough; precision comes later. Your goal is to establish the areas that will catch the most light based on the model’s orientation and the envisioned light source.

Refining Highlights
After laying down the initial highlights, start refining them. At this point, you are not aiming for a competition-level finish but rather a coherent look that enhances the model’s focal points. Use your small brush to navigate the model’s details without overpainting previously finished areas.

Adding Texture and Detail
Use the tip of your brush to apply the paint in a non-uniform manner, creating texture on the armour. Techniques such as stippling or squiggly lines can add depth. Avoid repetitive patterns unless you desire a specific stylistic effect.

Building Up Layers
Gradually work through your greys, from darkest to lightest, to build up the armour’s metallic look. Each new layer should be slightly lighter than the previous, focusing on refining the transitions and enhancing the brightness at the focal points.

Glazing for Atmosphere
Once you are satisfied with the grey layers, it’s time to add atmospheric colours to the model. Using thin glazes of Mournfang Brown (and potentially Morrow White for highlights), carefully apply these to midtones and shadows to introduce warmth and coherence across the model.

Final Touches
Pay special attention to the model’s rear. Depending on your preference, you can either create a stark contrast between the brightly lit front and a darker rear or maintain a more uniform lighting around the model. This step involves strategic planning to ensure the model looks interesting from all angles.

Consistency and Patience
Throughout the painting process, maintain a consistent paint consistency. Thinner paint layers are crucial for smooth transitions and avoiding texture build-up, especially as you approach using white for the brightest highlights.

Glazing with White
Utilise white glazes sparingly to enhance the brightest points of the armour. This technique helps to smooth out the final appearance and add a further level of depth to the NMM effect.

Video – Aeldari Avatar Lava Glow

How to paint the molten lava and body panels on the Aeldari Avatar. This guide will walk you through the process of painting both the glowing lava effect and the cooled magma appearance on the body

Materials Needed

• Paints:
  • Flash Gitz Yellow (Games Workshop)
  • Firedragon Bright (Games Workshop)
  • Mephiston Red (Games Workshop)
  • Daemonette Hide (Games Workshop)
  • Black (Vallejo Model Colour or any black)
  • Morrow White (P3 or any white)
• Tools: Wet palette, fine detail brushes, water for thinning paints.

Painting the Lava Glow

Preparing Your Palette

• On your wet palette, prepare a mix of Flash Gitz Yellow with a small amount of Morrow White to increase opacity. Aim for a shade slightly darker than Dawn Yellow but lighter than pure Flash Gitz Yellow.

Base Layer

• Apply the yellow-white mix thoroughly into all the cracks between the model’s muscles, where you want the lava effect to show. This base layer might need to be applied liberally due to the translucency of the yellow.

Adding Brightness

• While the first layer is still wet, add pure Morrow White into the mixture directly on the model, blending it in the centre of the lava channels to create a gradient effect from white to yellow.

Enhancing the Glow

• After the initial layers dry, apply pure Flash Gitz Yellow at the base of the lava channels to diversify the intensity of the glow, adding depth to the effect.

Darkening the Muscles

• Mix Mephiston Red with a bit of black to darken the muscle areas adjacent to the lava channels. This enhances the contrast and makes the glow appear more intense.

Painting the Cooled Magma

Initial Dark Layer

• Apply a mix of black across the raised areas of the muscles, avoiding covering deep recesses or textural details to maintain a sense of depth and heat variation.

Adding Grey Tones

• Lightly brush a mix of Daemonette Hide and black over the blackened areas to simulate cooled magma. Be sparing with this application to keep the high-contrast effect intact.

Final Highlights

• Use pure Daemonette Hide to highlight the edges and highest points of the cooled magma areas, enhancing the texture and adding a final touch to the illusion of heat emanating from beneath.

Additional Tips

• Contrast is Key: The effectiveness of the lava glow effect relies heavily on the contrast between the bright, almost white centres of the lava channels and the dark, cooled magma areas.
• Layering: Build up the glow effect gradually, allowing each layer to dry before applying the next. This approach helps in achieving a smooth gradient.
• Mixing Paints: Adjust the mixtures based on the specific details and shapes of your model. The suggested ratios are starting points; feel free to modify them to suit your needs.
• Patience and Practice: Achieving a convincing lava glow effect requires patience and practice, especially when blending the colours directly on the model.

Video – Aeldari Avatar Symbol in Gold NMM

How to paint the symbol on the chest of the Aeldari Avatar in NMM Gold.

Materials Needed

• Paints:
  • Mournfang Brown (Games Workshop)
  • XV-88 (Games Workshop)
  • Balor Brown (Games Workshop)
  • Flash Gitz Yellow (Games Workshop)
  • Morrow White (P3 or any high-quality white paint)
• Tools: A fine detail brush, a wet palette for mixing paints, and water for diluting paints as necessary.

Step-by-Step Guide

Base Layer

• Begin by applying a base coat of Mournfang Brown to the entire chest symbol, ensuring full coverage. You may need to apply a couple of layers to achieve an opaque finish due to the paint’s translucency. Allow each layer to dry thoroughly before applying the next.

Highlight Placement

• Next, use XV-88 to start blocking in the highlight placement. Focus on areas where the light naturally catches due to the symbol’s curvature and angles. Consider the light source direction (in this case, top left) and mimic this in your highlight placement for consistency. The XV-88 highlights should be applied generously to form the base for subsequent lighter shades.

Building Up Highlights

• Mix Balor Brown with a small amount of Flash Gitz Yellow to create a slightly yellower gold shade. Apply this mixture to areas previously highlighted with XV-88, reducing the highlight area slightly to start forming a gradient effect. This step introduces more vibrancy and begins to establish the gold tone.

Enhancing Gold Tone

• Use Flash Gitz Yellow mixed with a small amount of Morrow White to create the next layer of highlights. Focus on further reducing the highlight areas, concentrating on the most raised parts and edges where light would be strongest. This mixture will start to bring a bright, metallic look to the symbol.

Final Highlights

• For the final highlights, use pure Morrow White sparingly on the very peaks and edges of the symbol to simulate the brightest points of light reflection. This step is crucial for achieving the NMM effect, as it provides the contrast needed to mimic the appearance of shiny gold.

Adjusting for Realism

• Throughout the process, adjust the size and placement of your highlights based on the model’s orientation and your chosen light source direction. Remember, the goal is to create a realistic metallic effect through the use of non-metallic colours.

Glazing for Cohesion

• If you find the gold effect too desaturated or not quite matching the warmth of the model’s other elements (like lava glow), you can glaze over the symbol with thin layers of Flash Gitz Yellow. This will unify the colour scheme and add warmth to the gold without obscuring the detail work.

Additional Tips

• Light Source Consistency: Ensure all parts of the model reflect the same light source direction for a cohesive look.
• Layering: Achieve smooth transitions by allowing layers to dry fully before applying the next.
• Paint Consistency: Keep your paint slightly thinned to aid smooth application but not so much that it loses opacity too quickly.
• Practice Makes Perfect: NMM techniques require practice to perfect, especially in controlling the placement and size of highlights for a realistic metallic effect.

Video – Aeldari Avatar Soul Stones

This guide will walk you through the steps to achieve a realistic gem effect on your model using Sotek Green, Black, and Morrow White.

Materials Needed

• Paints:
  • Sotek Green (Games Workshop)
  • Black (Vallejo or equivalent)
  • Morrow White (P3 or equivalent)
• Tools: Fine detail brush, wet palette for mixing and diluting paints, water for thinning paints.

Step-by-Step Guide

Preparing the Palette

• On your wet palette, prepare Sotek Green, Black, and White. You’ll be using these colours to create the gem effect, with Black and White to modify the Sotek Green for shadows and highlights.

Base Layer

• Start by applying Sotek Green directly to the soul stones on the model. Focus on achieving a neat, circular highlight at the top of each gem to represent the light source’s direction. If the paint appears too thin and the underlying colour shows through, apply another layer to enhance opacity.

Highlighting

• Mix a small amount of Morrow White with Sotek Green to lighten the colour. Apply this lighter shade to the upper part of the gem, following the initial highlight’s shape but slightly reducing the area to create a gradient effect. Ensure this blend is more concentrated towards where you envision the light source hitting the gem, typically the top left, matching the light direction established on other parts of the model, like the non-metallic gold avatar symbol.

Refining the Gem

• For added depth, incorporate a very small line of this lighter mix at the bottom right of the gem, creating a sense of reflection and roundness. Use the original Sotek Green to tidy up any overspill and blend the edges of your highlights for a smoother transition.

Intensifying Highlights

• Gradually add more Morrow White to the mix for the brightest points of light on the gem. Focus these intensified highlights on a smaller area within your previously applied lighter shade, continuously narrowing the focus as you add more white. This method creates a luminous effect, simulating light reflecting within the gem.

Adjusting Shadows

• To define the gem further, mix a small amount of Black with Sotek Green and apply it sparingly to the edges and around the base of the soul stone, enhancing its three-dimensional appearance. Be cautious with the amount of black, as it can quickly overpower the Sotek Green due to its strong pigmentation.

Final Touches

• Use pure Morrow White to add a final pinpoint highlight to the top left of the gem, where the light source is strongest. This small detail significantly contributes to the gem’s realistic sparkle.

Additional Tips

• Light Source Consistency: Ensure all gems on the model reflect the same light source direction for coherence across the miniature.
• Layering: Achieve a smooth transition between shades by allowing each layer to dry thoroughly before applying the next. This technique prevents unwanted blending and muddiness.
• Paint Consistency: Adjust the paint’s thickness based on the effect you’re aiming for. Thinner paint can act as a glaze to smooth out transitions, while thicker paint is better for opaque highlights.
• Practice: Perfecting the soul stone effect may take practice. Experiment on a test model or an inconspicuous area before applying the technique to more visible parts of the miniature.

By following these steps and adjusting your technique as needed based on the specific details and shape of your model’s soul stones, you can achieve a striking and realistic gem effect.

If you don’t have an account, please sign up here! The website currently has over 350 video tutorials with steps and tips, plus a selection of PDFs. If you are not sure about joining, you can explore my free videos with a free membership, or take the plunge and become a full subscriber for full access.

If you’d prefer to support me on Patreon, please visit: https://www.patreon.com/RichardGray